John stephen akhwari of tanzania capital

  • John Stephen Akhwari cramped up and then fell, badly injuring his knee and shoulder, during the men's marathon at Mexico City 1968.
  • John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania.
  • Tanzanian John Stephen Akhwari finished last, but will be remembered for bravely battling through a bad fall to cross the line bloodied and battered.

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    A lasting memory: Tanzanian runner
    By Cui Xiaohuo (China Daily/The Olympian)
    Updated: 2008-01-11 14:52

    It took Tanzania's John Stephen Akhwari 4 hours and 30 minutes to finish the marathon at the 1968 Mexico City Games, a terrible performance by Olympic and African standards but a Herculean effort given that he dislocated his shoulder and tore a hole in his knee midway through.

    John Stephen Akhwari reminisces about his Olympic experience while in Beijing last week. [China Daily]

    "My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race," he later told Bud Greenspan, who directed the official documentary of the Games. "They sent me 5,000 miles to finish it."

    By the time Akhwari approached the finish line, over two hours after winner Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia, the official timekeepers were not even bothering to count the seconds and the awards ceremony was already beneath way.

    When the organizers were told there was still one runner hobbling along the track, however, the ne

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    The wonderful world of heroes without medals

    A few years ago, the IOC developed a marketing campaign with slogans that highlight the values of Olympism.

    With the unmistakable and adorable phrase by Robin Williams, the saga revolved around concepts such as “there are people who believe that you don’t win a silver medal but that you lose a gold one. They’re the ones who never won a silver medal”.

    Contrary to what many fans and not a few people in the press claim that it only matters to win and that no one remembers who came second, Olympism has given numerous evidence that its heroes are not only the ones who become champions; sometimes, our heroes don’t even win medals.

    Derek Redmond, British, was part of the 4x400 meter mästare pole at the Tokyo World Athletics Championship in 1991. He arrived in Barcelona ‘92 as one of the favorites to the podium in the individual event. Half way through the competition in the semifinals, he suffered a tear in the hamstrings of his right leg.

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    I often recall the words of John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania after he won the marathon at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. At the time, Akhwari was the long shot whose bandaged legs gave spectators the impression that his chances were slim – at best.

    Increasingly, Kenya’s regulatory environment fosters innovation and incubates progressive ideas. The political will exhibited by the country’s top leadership to hoist the country to Middle Income Country status by 2030, is defined by a zealous commitment to encouraging private sector driven partnerships, bolstering investment, and generally creating an environment that supports economic growth that uplifts all.

    For this, the World Bank has given Kenya a positive rating and the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) upgraded Nairobi’s status as a United Nations (UN) hub to “Category B”, meaning living and business conditions of the country have improved tremendously.

    The much-quoted Kenya mobile banking success story, which is

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